The Doctor and the Libertine - Callie Hutton Page 0,8

make many a man fall to his knees.

And he wasn’t just speaking of her rigid nature. Why a woman with such beauty and lovely curves chose to unfemale herself by working as a doctor continued to puzzle him. Even with all his injuries his thoughts came alive and a part of his body he preferred not to have Dr. Stevens notice, reacted.

“Gentlemen—which I am sure you are not—you may leave now. Do not return. You are not welcome here. My patient is having a difficult enough time adjusting to no alcohol without his friends—and I use the term loosely—sabotaging his efforts.”

All three men stared at her as if she’d spoken a foreign language. Edwin had been certain she would toss him out with the others, but she actually made it sound as though she was doing him a favor by banning Brennan and Manchester and protecting him from their intended harm.

It had been a long time since anyone concerned themselves with his welfare. Grateful he was not going to have to hobble out behind them, he gestured with his head to the door. “Time to go, lads.”

“Are you going to allow her to dictate to you?” Manchester seemed appalled. No doubt, since as the heir to his father’s dukedom he’d not had anyone tell him what to do since he’d been in short pants and couldn’t understand why Edwin, as a member of the nobility, would tolerate it.

“Do you see the shape I’m in? I have no choice. Now be off with you.” For some very odd reason, he felt embarrassed for his friends. They did appear to be like children trying to avoid discipline from the headmaster after causing mischief with their teacher.

Brennan shrugged, always the easiest going of the group. “You better get well fast, friend. You are missing out.”

Dr. Stevens followed them to the door. Edwin heard her from the entrance. “Are you the two who brought Lord Sterling to my front door?”

“Yes.” It sounded like Brennan’s voice.

“The next time you deign to bring someone who has been seriously injured to a doctor, do take the time from your continuing levity to knock on the door and advise the doctor what happened to the patient. The man you refer to as friend could have died out there.”

“We knocked on the door!” Brennan’s voice almost sounded like a small boy caught with a pilfered biscuit.

“How very noble of you. ‘Tis too bad you didn’t want for an answer.” The swish of the door opening and rapidly closing was soon followed by footsteps down the corridor.

Edwin flinched knowing he was not going to get away with what had just happened.

Why did he even care what the doctor said, or thought? Once he was well enough to be on his way, he would never see her again. She would join the very large group of people who disdained him.

He was used to it.

She returned to the room and stood before him, her arms crossed over her middle, a flask in each hand. He smiled at how her breasts were pushed up with her arms. The brandy had kicked in.

“Look at my face, please.” Her voice whipped around him like a crop.

He gulped, realizing he’d been staring at her charming breasts. “I apologize.”

“For what? There seems to be several issues here that need apology. Perhaps we can start with these.” She waved the flasks around.

“I did not ask them to bring that. In fact, I didn’t know they were even coming.” Why the devil did he feel the need to explain himself to her? She was not his mother, wife, or betrothed. He owed her nothing.

Except she probably saved my life.

Edwin came back at her. “I think what you should concern yourself with is how they got in here. Is there no man at the door?” Yes, he was trying to divert her, but he found himself concerned that she was here, alone most times with such an easy way to enter the building.

She stiffened, no doubt annoyed that he found a legitimate way to sidetrack the coming lecture. “Sometimes Walter is at the door, but if he is busy doing other things, maybe not. However, I run an infirmary. People must have access. The only time the door is locked is when I retire for the night.”

“That is dangerous.”

She waved him off. “I prefer to continue the conversation we started. Perhaps what you said is true, and you did not invite those men here. I have a feeling they go